Complete and running! RC Offroad Scaler conversion.

[PraetoR]

Hey all.

 

OK, this update had been a looooooong time coming, as I haven't been doing anything RC related (really) for months. Made the shell ages ago, but never updated, plus today I've been working on fitting body posts and getting the shell to sit right.

 

I'll start by apologising for the awful photographs. My phone camera is rubbish and my living room has only one working lightbulb left!

 

Decided to make this Seben Rock Crawler (Maverick Scout) conversion as DIY parts-bin-special as possible, since it won't be that great a crawler and I therefor don't want to chuck money at it. So, with the exception of the body shell, wheels and tyres, shocks and butchered RC-Offroad chassis, everything will be made using spare and broken parts and other stuff I simply have lying around. I personally think the truck looks... pretty terrible! But it is straight, it is strong and it should perform better than the sum of its parts. At least the shell looks good and I am pleased with how it turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next things to do are to make a bracket to mount the electronics and a battery tray. The battery will be behind the gearbox, towards the back, which isn't ideal. So I'll add weights above the front wheels to compensate. Additionally, swapping the ni-mh battery to a lighter lipo may help. I will also have to look into making a front bumper.

 

Cheers.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Praet0r87

[Gaz!]

Nothing at all wrong with that fella, looks bang on

[PraetoR]

Thanks Gaz, appreciate it.

 

When I say it looks terrible, I mean it really does look like it's cobbled together from old bits! At least the shell hides it well.

[Trans4Mation]

Look pretty cool , only thing I woud do is mount battery up front just behind the shocks so it's sat side ways an keep an eye on the angle of the props at that angle in pics it looks a weak point they will soon break . An add a front chassis brace to stop the chassis flex I know there two up top but add a lower one . Body come out well to nice to see an non landy body rig for a change , keep the pics coming

[heavyleftthumb]

looking great pal. just read through the whole post. glad to see someone taking some time and effort modding from what they got. and when its all up and running (which shouldnt be long) you can admire your rig and be happy in the knowledge that you made it

[PraetoR]

Hi Trans4mation, thanks for the reply. Yeah I just had a look and there might JUST be enough room to put the battery horizontal up front. Lack of space was the reason I was going to put it in the back, but I'll see what I can do. The props aren't set where they are, to be honest, and there is a little more room to maneuver here. When the truck is moving, the shocks compress and the angle is improved, anyway. Yeah I will do, but at the moment I've snapped my correct sized drill bit! D'oh! Thanks, and will do. Better lighting next time!

 

Hlt, thanks very much! Yeah I am looking forward to it. She won't be an axial or a Gmade, that's for sure, but hopefully it'll do me proud!

[PraetoR]

A very quick update today. I needed somewhere to mount the electronics, so had to add a smooth surface. However, space is at a premium.

 

I decided to use the battery bar from the old crawler. Had to drill through the steel chassis in order to bolt it down, took ages owing to how strong the chassis is. I'll simply use some double-sided tape to mount the ESC and receiver there. It's really strange looking, certainly different, but this whole truck is different, so why not? Plus, I think it looks oddly cool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have also divised a way to mount the battery horizontally behind the front shocks, as suggested, so will be working on making a battery mount over the next few days. You can see the beginnings of it at the front left of the truck in the third photo.

 

Cheers.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Praet0r87

[PraetoR]

"SHE'S ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!!"

 

Finally got her done. May need some tweeks etc once I try her outside, as I have no idea how this thing will perform.

 

Since last time I have completed the links (sleeved them), made a battery-holder/mount thing and then use a simple spring and heavy-duty body-clip to hold it in place. Simple. Effective. Not pretty. Then it was a case of mounting the electrics, wiring it up. I deliberately made the motor-to-esc cables overly long, to try and keep them well clear of the spur gear.

 

When I first tried it, it worked for a few seconds, then the motor jammed solid. I removed it and couldn't even turn it by hand. So I used some strong grips and forced it to turn with a "snap". I knew it probably had metal shards from my drilling, filing etc and reckoned one had gotten stuck and I managed to snap it free. I then magnetised an allen key and tried to fish out any metal shards, hoping to find the offending article (motor cannot be taken apart), and I managed to find what had jammed it... a locking wheel-nut!!! What the hell? How did THAT get in there?!?!? Aaaaaaanyway, it's been removed and everything's gravy.

 

 

 

Not great looking with the shell off...

 

She looks good with the shell on though, not up to the same level as proper scalers, like those made by Axial, Gmade, Vaterra etc, but that's what I expected and I'm pleased to have build it almost 100% out of spare parts.

 

 

 

 

 

And a few pics to remind you what it used to be, compared with what it is now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to testing it outside, but have to wait until the weather improves, as it's been horrible outside for the last 24 hours or so.

 

Cheers.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Praet0r87

[Gaz!]

Well done fella, that looks absolutely spot on!

Should make a great trail rig for sure

[PraetoR]

Thanks Gaz, and thanks for the advice you've given me throughout, as well. Invaluable.

 

I'm definitely hoping so. I'm going to try and catch up with other people who go crawling/trailing and see if my wee bargain basement truck can tag on to the back of the proper ones.

[Gaz!]

Your more than welcome mate, glad to be of some help....

[oodboo]

 

Nice work there fella. 

[PraetoR]

Hahaha! Thanks for that!

 

Incidentally, if anyone with a Maverick Scout likes the looks of the orange shell and/or orange wheels from my original crawler, send me a message. I won't advertise them at the moment, but they're no good to me anymore and were only used 3 or 4 times.

[PraetoR]

... claimed by Gaz.

[PraetoR]

Had her out for the first shot today!

 

Works really well, I'm so pleased.

 

It performs as well as, if not better than, the donor crawler. I do have a couple of gripes, though: First- I don't think the tyres are very good, they're not very soft and don't get great traction. Well, maybe the tyres are fine, but the foams inside that are too hard? The tyres don't deform at all. Second- I could do with a wee bit more weight up front, ahead of the shock absorbers.

 

Anyway, enjoy the photos. There's a link to the video thread at the bottom as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video:

http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/203463-first-outing-on-the-trail-with-my-converted-crawler/

Edited January 16, 2015 by Praet0r87

[ghazghul]

That looks sweet, good video too. Looks like it was pretty cold out (ice) which will effect tyres and shock oil making them harder. Tyres do soften up with use a fair bit. Do the wheels have breather holes or are they airtight?

[PraetoR]

Cheers very much.

 

Yeah, it certainly was cold. I've read up and it seems the tyres are quite capable, but the foam inserts are, indeed, too hard. People are tending to boil these wheels, get the tyres off them, fit softer foams and re-glue wheels again. I'm going to look into that. If I don't have softer foams, will cutting them into the "star" shape work as well? I've heard folk talking about that.

 

There are breathing holes, yes.

[ghazghul]

Star cut foams can work well, got to be worth a test before searching out softer foam? I guess you could get a feel for the effect without re-gluing too.

[PraetoR]

Yeah, good point. That's what I'll do. No harm in trying.

[PraetoR]

Apparently, harm in trying!!

 

Didn't have the best day today. I boiled the wheels/tyres, but I obviously left them in too long. Yes, I got the tyres off them, but the wheels had melted out of shape! They're not round anymore, and are slightly buckled.

 

What a mess! How long is it supposed to take?? I only left them in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

 

I cut the foams, put them back the tyres and put the tyres on the wheels, anyway, just to try. I think there is more grip than before, but it's difficult to say, because the conditions were slippier today. Nevertheless, the truck performed as well as before, despite the conditions, so I think the softer foams have helped. The wheels were awful though, and made the whole thing vibrate.

 

Also, while out climbing, the plastic centre driveshaft (rear one) snapped where the pin goes through. I was told this would happen, so no surprises there.

 

Not a great day!

 

I've ordered some steel driveshafts and a new set of four wheels/tyres (those cheap wheels only come with preglued tyres), this time I'll be more gentle getting the tyres off!

[Trans4Mation]

Good to see your enjoying it bud does look great . Yeh I did say keep an eye on them shafts but it happens good you going metal just tweak the inner links in to try get less angle on the props without loosing the wheels in centre arch . The 1st company that made the landy rims was Peter a guy overseas from tamiya club same one that started selling the landy body's before others even rc4wd an his was the only ones that never broke all the other ones on the market break at the hex so by you boiling them did you a favour because you will only replace them when hex broke just glue your hex in the rim from start it does help them last alittle longer . An when you re glue tyres only dot it every now & then not glue the whole bead again this will help you get the tyres off easier later down the line. Keep us posted an enjoy your trailing with it.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Trans4Mation

[PraetoR]

Thanks very much, and cheers for the info!

 

Yeah, I'll be able to reduce the angle slightly, should reduce the stress on them. Ordered another set of the wheels/tyres, as they're super cheap. I'll just be more careful getting the tyres off.

 

Be a few days before it'll be ready to roll again.